The 2nd Annual Builders Ball
Early Race Number Pick-up
Where: The Providence Biltmore. 11 Dorrance Street, Providence, RI 02903
When: Friday, Oct. 5, 2012, 7-10 p.m.
Dating back to the early 1970s, New England has been the vanguard of building custom bicycle frames. The tradition continues to this day in all materials, steel, aluminum, carbon and titanium. This event showcases both established and emerging artisans who will display their latest and greatest offerings in one of New England’s most elegant rooms in the Providence Biltmore.
For frame-builders interested in exhibiting at the event, space is limited. Exhibitor fees start at just $129. Contact Eric Weis at eric@greenway.org or 401-450-7155 for more information.
Visit newenglandbuildersball.com.
Proceeds benefit the East Coast Greenway Alliance.
Builders in attendance:
44 Bikes (Lyndeborough NH) strongly believes there are few things more satisfying than riding a bicycle and the shared experience of the trail. Nestled in the hills of Northern New England, 44 pours all of their passion and experience into handcrafted, custom tig welded bicycle frames made in their shop in New Hampshire. 29″ mountain bikes are the specialty.
Alternative Needs Transportation (ANT) (Holliston MA ): Ant bicycles is a small bicycle fabrication shop run by Mike Flanigan and Betsy Eckel Scola in Holliston, MA. We are dedicated to building bikes for transportation that have the right combination of function and style. Mike has been in the bike trade since 1983 and joined the Boston bike building scene in 1989.
Budd Bike Works (Boston MA): Hand crafted steel and TIG welded construction with tube sets from Dedaccai, Columbus, Tange, and True Temper for optimal performance of your size, strength, and riding style. Awe Yeah!
Chapman Cycles (Providence RI) will be (and has been) pushing the limits of my craftsmanship and my vision of the true integrated bicycle. I’m trying to take my work to a new level where I can explore new technologies while still adhering to a classic aesthetic. I try to get to this new level by foreseeing the bike as a whole before making the first file stroke. With that mental image, I can then start the design and pay attention to the details during the build. I love the details. The details show that care, thought, and consideration went into every aspect of the frame and its components.
Circle A Cycles (Providence RI): We may be North America’s most sarcastic frame builder, but we’re not prone to false modesty here at Circle A Cycles. That being said, we’ll not mince words: we build the best bikes on the planet. People stop me on the street and ask, “Is it true that Circle A Cycles builds the best bikes on the planet?” This is what I tell them: “To be honest – and I do prefer to be honest – yes. Yes we do.” So there you have it.
Cleverhood (Providence RI) is a small company in Providence with the will to sell a superior product made in the USA. We’ve created the eponymous Cleverhood, a smart-looking, high-performance rain cape. The ‘hood has been designed, crafted and manufactured in the US, putting good people to work. And every single, high-quality material that we could get, like zippers, trim and tags, are local too. Some of our fabrics are from overseas. But we’ll change that if it means we can still provide a superior product.
Dharma Cycles (Providence RI): classic steel frames from Providence, RI.
Dornbox Bikes (Cumberland ME): With a background in art, design, structures, and industrial fabrication, I design and build every Dornbox frame to perform and fit as nicely as it looks. While I wholly believe that every material is a great choice for a given situation or set of needs, due to the durability, value, ride characteristics, and versatility to meet nearly every set of cycling needs, I decided to exclusively offer frames made from steel.
Firefly Bicycles (Boston MA) is a new name in world-class, handcrafted road, cross and mountain bike frames. While our company is relatively new Tyler, Jamie and Kevin have designed, crafted, and fit bikes for a combined 38+ years in the Boston area. We shaped one of the most revered small bicycle frame builders in the world — and, in the process, we helped to shape national and international cycling and bike culture. Every single Firefly bike is made here in Boston from the highest quality stainless steel and titanium tubing.
Geekhouse Bikes (Boston MA) is a custom steel TIG welding operation based in Boston, MA. We take ‘Made in the USA’ very seriously. Founded in 2002 by bespectacled bike-geek Marty Walsh, we produce a range of bicycle frames for all types of riding. We work hard to source as much as possible from within the United States and we hold green business practices in high esteem. By utilizing a small staff, we take the time to personally cater to your ideas and we love watching each and every build take on the personality and individuality of our customers.
Spooky Bikes (Bellows Falls VT ), made by people using machines in America, specifically MTB Hall of Famer and aluminum pioneer Frank The Welder. We use as many domestically-sourced raw materials as possible, union labor when we need to, and life-long friends when we can. There is nothing “green” about making stuff out of aluminum or stuff in general, as the general public is starting to understand – BUT our bikes are built to last. One aluminum frame made domestically and built to last 15 years is going to have a much smaller carbon footprint than a new Chinese-Made $4k wonderframe that needs to be replaced every time you lean it against a parking meter. Reduce, Downcycle but most importantly, shred every day.
Watson Cycles (Waterford CT) constructs finely crafted custom bicycles and intricate cycling-related fabrications, including racks and custom-bent titanium bars. Our primary aim is to deliver bicycles of the highest quality craftsmanship in order to maximize one’s enjoyment of the sport. Each project begins with a central principle and is then designed to address the specific needs of an individual. All models are made from a high-end selection of True Temper tubing and built with a focus on using American-made products.
2nd Annual Builders Ball to be held in the Garden room of the Providence Biltmore Hotel. Friday October 5th, 7-10pm.
